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Ranking the New Orleans Saints' 2014 roster | No. 12: Ben Grubbs

Ben Grubbs: New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles 2014

New Orleans Saints guard Ben Grubbs (66) blocks for Drew Brees during the wild card playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, January 4, 2014.
(Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

For the third consecutive offseason, we're ranking the New Orleans Saints' top players with a slightly shorter list this year as we'll rank the top 20 players. We'll publish a new player each weekday as we inch closer to training camp.

Even with the team losing numerous familiar faces, the Saints' 2014 roster appears stronger than last year's team on paper. Ranking the top 20 is easier said than done. I'm sure we'll disagree on a ranking or two or maybe 10:

No. 12: G Ben Grubbs

Last year's rank: 8

Season: 8; Age: 30; Height: 6-3; Weight: 310

Grubbs picked up his second Pro Bowl nod in the last three seasons last year, his first with the Saints. And yet there's a notion that Grubbs maybe didn't play all that well last season.

Did Grubbs have a rough patch here or there in 2013? Yes. This may sound like a bit of an excuse, but Grubbs didn't exactly have stability on either side of him with Charles Brown and Brian de la Puente playing next to him.

Grubbs is still one of the better guards in the NFL and pairing him with Jahri Evans makes for one of the league's best guard pairs in the league. Grubbs' pass protection was better than his run blocking last season. That's rather predictable considering how much better the Saints were passing the ball than rushing it. Grubbs and the offensive line as a whole should be improved going into 2014 and we started seeing improvement late last season already.